"I look back at much of my first book with loathing--it's so dense and obtuse. With the second book, and especially with the third one, I pared it down, got a little quieter. I think I also got more sincere. Meeting Franz Wright and talking about his life and his art helped me a lot. Sincerity is key--it's something so many younger poets, who fancy themselves hip flaneurs, viciously react against. It's not hip to be direct, to hurt. I look at a lot of my peers and think, do they feel anything? Do they ever hurt? I hate a lot of poetry done these days by my fellow MFA holders--to be fair, I hate what I was doing in my own poetry. Sure, you can flex awareness of language and be pyrotechnical and be ironic and super-duper twenty-first-century aware, but in the long run, poetry is done a disservice."
--Ethan Paquin
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3 comments:
Is the entire moooo-vement based on what you *don't* like? Does it depend upon great swaths of work you can't stand, or will NS work stand on its own? Aren't you and Ethan teachers? And shouldn't "young MFA-ers" get more of a chance to figure out just what the hell they want to write like? Sounds like E.P. had two books already to find his way.
Frankly I'm waiting for what you guys are up to collectively to materialize--I've heard Andy Mister read twice and I'm impressed. I'm looking forward to the new Massey chap. What turns me off is the same old us v. them, like, is that all there is? Is it impossible to write good poems any other way than yours? Why all the blog-noise? Show us your hearts.
Luv
Jimmy
Thanks, Jim!
Thank you, A.M.--hell of a reading.
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